Lolita Blog Carnival: Music Inspired Coordinate

Did you know that I was in marching band in my high school days? My instrument of destruction was the clarinet. <3 I'm not going to say I was particularly good, but I did enjoy myself, and I acquired a much deeper love of music. In commemoration of those days spent marching on a football field, I put together a musical coordinate centering around Angelic Pretty's Toy March.

OP: Angelic Pretty Toy March
Wristcuffs: Angelic Pretty Heart Charm Bell Ribbon
Hat: Angelic Pretty Toy March

Tights: Many sellers on ebay
Boots: Innocent World Gretel Short Boots
Clarinet pin: Many sellers, check your local music shop especially around graduation time
Bag: Bodyline bag173 in green

The coordinate is centered around a general lolita marching band type feel. The teddy bears and squirrels gallantly play their instruments on the print of the dress. The boots go with the polished button feel I tend to associate with bands, while music notes run down the legs, a tune slowly shifting while you walk. I added a clarinet pin in particular because of my instrumental background. The music notes tote is a final touch, another beat to sway while you walk.

That's a wrap on my coordinate and an explanation for the piece choices. To see what other lolitas have thought would be great musical lolita coordinates, please see the links below.

Whimsical Adventures Of Me * New Vogue Children * Daily Fuckery * Sleeping Sweets

Sushi Lolita Meetup

This past Saturday, my lolita comm got together and had a little casual style meetup for which I was the organizer. Initially, I had thought for us to attend the local showing of the Romeo and Juliet ballet, but in the end most of our comm members were still tired from attending the anime convention from the week before (myself included), so we opted instead of a more casual style sushi meetup at a local restaurant.

Kawaii Nail Polish: Hard Candy Pixie Pink Swatches

In my constant search to add more little detailing to my lolita coordinates, I've been taking a dive into nail polishes lately. While shopping at Walmart the past weekend, I happened upon a really intriguing shade of polish: Pixie Pink by Hard Candy. Though I'm not a polish expert, below are some of my swatches and thoughts on the polish!

Despite being labeled as pink, the shade is more of a very light lavender as can be seen pretty easily through the bottle itself though it's not as obvious in the above swatch of two coats. The little bitlets of glitter in the polish are blue, white and dark pink.

Overall, I could see the polish going really well with a number of sweet lolita and fairy kei type looks with the fanciful glitter and pastel colors that compliment the shades found in many prints. So if you get a chance to check out this shade, I would definitely pick it up. I got my bottle for only $2 which is likely a clearance for Hard Candy's spring line coming soon, so I would recommend checking out the shade soon for sugar a steal of a price.

5 Pieces That Every Lolita Should Have, Regardless of Style

No matter how new or budget conscious your lolita wardrobe is, certain pieces will help to complete and accentuate your OP's, JSK's and skirts throughout different substyles. Below are my picks for items every lolita should at the least consider having in their wardrobe.

Petticoat: Dear Celine
Bracelets and Floral Hairclips: Forever 21
Tights: Sock Dreams

Petticoat

The most defining feature of lolita fashion is the use of a petticoat to achieve shape beneath the dress. Without a petti, dresses tend to look kind of sad and limp. Of all the pieces of a lolita wardrobe, I'd recommend saving up and investing in at least one good petticoat to provide the perfect degree of fluff for the cut of your dresses.

Pearl bracelets

Whether your main substyle is classic, gothic or sweet, pearls can be used to add an extra hint of opulence and luxury to your outfit while being able to be purchased cheaply at mall stores like Forever 21. 

Floral accessories

Again, no matter which style you aim for, a floral accessory can add a nice touch to the outfit. I've found tons of floral accessories at a local dollar store accessory type shop called Z's Outlet, but you can find floral accents to compliment a lolita outfit at many locations.

Tights

Rather than socks, lolita brands are more and more releasing tights to go with their sets, so they're becoming more of a lolita staple. Several lovely detailed pairs of tights along with some basic solid colored hosiery in the color scheme of your choice are perfect for any lolita outfit. You can find tights in many different colors and sizes at places like Target, Sock Dreams, and We Love Colors.

Confidence

Yes, yes, I know that confidence technically isn't a piece you can just keep in stock in your wardrobe. But I believe being able to be confident in your style and appearance while in lolita is a valuable asset. Even if you're newer to the fashion and feel that you have no clue what you're doing, maintaining an air of poise and confidence in your frills can make the difference between having a fearful day worried that others are staring at you and having a relaxed day out laughing with your lolita friends. 

The above post idea was originally from F Yeah Lolita's original list, Lolita 52 Challenge. 

Recap: Kami-Con 2014

Kami-Con Season 6 has already come and past now, and I'm still reeling from the experience. I had a wonderful time meeting with friends, checking out the dealer's room, and getting a poster autographed by a large number of the Sailor Moon cast members. I want to post a quick recap of the events along with my cosplay and lolita coordinate shenanigans, so let's get to it. 

My Current Favorite Beauty Sites, February 2014

Before becoming a lolita, I had worn makeup a handful of occasions in my life. Even then, I mostly stuck to exfoliating my skin to the best condition and slapping on some lipstick before I rolled out for a school dance or graduation event. The perfect doll like and ethereal looks I’ve seen so many lolitas achieve with the help of makeup has made me increasingly conscious of my lack of knowledge in the area. In the first month or so of 2014, I’ve endeavored to do better with crafting my look, so I’d like to share with you some of the general resources that I’ve been using while learning where to find products that will work for both the look I want to achieve and my budget.

Wengie

I follow Wengie primarily through her Youtube channel while going and checking out her blog when I want to make one of the amazing recipes she posts. She posts Korean makeup tutorials, Korean product hauls, diet friendly delicious recipes, and outfit of the day ideas. I love her soft style and presentation style in her videos as she manages to keep the entirety of the tutorials well laid out and informative.

Nouveau Cheap

If you want to have beauty on a budget, Nouveau Cheap is the perfect site for you. The site admin updates the site more than several times per day to keep you up to date with the latest sightings of budget line cosmetics in drug stores. She also continually posts reviews and swatches of the cosmetics that she finds which is extremely helpful for a newbie like me or likely for a more experienced viewer who wants to sort through what's worth the time picking up at the drugstore. I've especially enjoyed how constantly busy the instagram feed is, keeping me updated and excited about affordable products throughout the day.

Musings of a Muse

I visit Musings of a Muse every few days or so to see a wide variety of new products coming to both drugstores and beauty specific shops like Sephora. She posts a variety of swatches along with her nicely written commentary on the products. I really love the mixture of western and Korean products that get posted on the blog too. 

The Polishaholic

I've been interested in trying nail polishes for a long while, but I'm very good at picking out duds with my own guidance. Enter The PolishAholic. The pictures are great resolution and cover a wide variety of more commonly available nail polishes along with smaller brands such as a recent post of a product called GlitterDaze Birthday Duo which I immediately had to order after looking at her beautiful swatches of the product. I can't wait to keep following the blog in the months to come and finding more awesome nail polishes going into spring 2014. 

Thank you for reading today. What beauty product websites have you been in love with lately? I'd love to hear your thoughts below. 

Lolita Blog Carnival: Romantic Coordinate Ideas

Valentine's day is nigh, and you want to wear something to go out with your special someone or maybe dress up beautifully for yourself. The following are some of my ideas for crafting a lovely romantic look, so let's jump right in.

Some general motifs to incorporate into a Valentine's day coordinate include: pearls, ribbons, hearts, bows and lace. Fortunately, lolita brands abound with these elements, and jewelry containing a sweet and girly touch is common during February which can match well mixed in with lolita brand pieces.

Examples of lolita main pieces with heart or chocolate elements
Bodyline l445
Angelic Pretty Royal Creamy Chocolate
Angelic Pretty Sugar Hearts

I've also put together a full sample coordinate using primarily budget friendly finds from Bodyline and Forever 21. I went for a pastel lilac coordinate brought through the Bodyline Cinderella Bunnies dress (Bodyline l481). Though not visible in the below picture easily, the neckline of the jsk has two strings of pearls hanging. The beret, socks and blouse are in white to help compliment the main piece without overwhelming with pastels, while the Secret Shop shoes and lilac wrist cuffs bring the color back into the outfit again to help with tying the coordinate together. Final touches are the Forever 21 heart necklace and rose bracelet along with the youthful girlish bouncy look provided by Gothic Lolita Wigs Ringlet Redux in milk tea.

Bodyline Cinderella Bunnies Romantic Coordinate Look in Lilac
Jsk, blouse, socks: Bodyline
Beret: Claire's
Wig: Gothic Lolita Wigs
Shoes: Secret Shop
Wrist cuffs: The Snow Field
Bracelet, necklace: Forever 21

I hope you've enjoyed a quick look into crafting a romantic lolita coordinate. Please check out other Lolita Blog Carnival entries below.

Whimsical Adventures of Me * Sweet and Simple * Northern Star * Pretty Little Habits * New Vogue Children * Päivänvarjon alla or Under the parasol * Pink lace + Glitter * Breiðholt * Lolita Glamour * Daily Fuckery * Vanillas Traumfabrik * Her Lumpiness * Hello Batty * LadyAtropa * The Bloody Tea Party

Forever 21, Big Lots, Thrift Store, Oh My!

I tend to love the items released towards Valentine's day as stores display their sweetest items of the year. I've managed to find a lot of great finds during late January and early February, so venture past the jump to see some of the finds I've snagged lately.

Review: Ribbon Faux Fur Collar From ebay User cypressin

I've been looking into getting a faux collar for a long while now to add a more forest feel to my lolita outfits or add a little bit of every girly to regular outfits. When I found a listing for less than $5 USD shipped per collar, I knew I had to buy several. Read more about my shopping experience after the jump.

Snowstorm 2014

Note: The following post is not related to lolita, j-fashion, etc, but I felt like I wanted to express what I experience recently with the recent southeastern snowstorm.

Last week, Alabama and surrounding areas of the southeast were struck by a very rare occurrence: more than an inch worth of snow. I am not nearly eloquent or well informed enough to fully describe why such a situation proved to be a giant disaster that ended with a large number of car accidents and cars abandoned throughout the urban and suburban areas as people abandoned their vehicles that could drive no further on the ice slick roads.

To make a rather long winded story shorter, I ended up going to work on Tuesday morning. Once the snow began, my employer as well as many others in the area announced that we could go home for the day. A flood of traffic ensued. My fiance managed to pick me up through the full streets, but soon after we left my work, the car could not handle the ice on a very slight incline. We abandoned the vehicle to regroup at a nearby McDonald’s then we walked the extra mile to take shelter at a nearby hotel. We had a restless night in the hotel lobby sleeping since they were booked out of rooms by 2 PM but were kind enough to let the masses unable to secure a room loiter in their lobby areas. The hotel was very well stocked on food, happily, we able to eat dinner and breakfast the next day.

Thank goodness for coffee